Slang and Expressions
Slang, as noted in the article on language, refers to words that are not officially part of a formal language, but which are nevertheless understood and fairly commonly spoken in informal speech. While all words spoken on The Land are considered official parts of the Landish language, it is true that some words are used more casually than others, and may therefore be seen as slang, in a certain sense. (It is also useful to consider certain meanings of some words to be slang, as opposed to more standard meanings of the same words.) The term "slang" may also refer to expletives and figures of speech. (It should be noted that while on some worlds, expletives may be considered inappropriate, on the Land they are generally seen as reasonable expressions of one's feelings, though it is also known that they are used in greater moderation here than on some worlds.) Most Landish slang is known to have originated on Earth, though it's possible some may come from other worlds, while other slang may be uniquely Landian. The following is a far from complete list of words and phrases which may be considered slang. Words *'Bloody': May be used as an intensifier within an exclamation or statement, such as "bloody Hell!" or "I don't bloody know." Might be considered an expletive. *'Capital': One-piece coin. (See Currency of the Land.) *'Clown': One who acts silly. (See clowns.) *'Conjure': Slang used by Sorreters. Refers to a combined spell of divining for and summoning animals such as striders. (See conjuration.) *'Cool': A word which, in its slang sense, essentially means "good." *'Crown': 100-piece coin. (See Currency of the Land.) *'Daypay': 20-piece coin. (See Currency of the Land.) *'Deuce': 2-piece coin. (See Currency of the Land.) *'Enslaved': To be beaten at something, usually games or sports. The expression first began sometime after the introduction of Kaiju Cards in 909. (See Terran culture.) It is derived from the Terran slang expression "owned." *'God': The name (or more aptly, the title) of God is occasionally invoked when one feels a particularly strong emotion, which may be either positive or negative, depending on circumstances. Sometimes used as part of a phrase, such as "Oh my God!" Might be considered an expletive. *'Hell': An expletive which may be used on its own or as part of an exclamation, such as "bloody hell!" or "what the hell?" Generally conveys a sense of annoyance, anxiety, or confusion. *'Java': Coffee. *'Meal' or meal-piece: 5-piece coin. (See Currency of the Land.) *'O'Gast': An common misspelling/mispronunciation of O'Gas. *'Rumpy': Half-piece coin. (See Currency of the Land.) *'Shite': An expletive which essentially means "bad" (though its literal meaning is "excrement"). *'Vanilla': An exclamation which, on the Land, indicates a sense of mystery and awe, concerning something very much out of the ordinary. (See the second Trivia note in the article on Serenity). *'Watch monog': Refers to both actual monogs and people or groups who oversee other groups, to ensure they don't violate any laws or regulations. Expressions *'Don't give a rat's ass': A Terran expression meaning that one doesn't care. The derivation of the expression on Earth is unknown, nor is it known when it was first used on the Land. *'Fighting like furthings and monogs': A Landian expression which compares hostile relations between people to relations between furthings and monogs; based on the Terran expression "fighting like cats and dogs." *'Give up the ghost': A Terran expression which has likely been in use on the Land since the first century. It literally means "die," but is often used in the sense of surrendering to the inevitable, as in ceasing some effort that has proven futile. *'If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Ice Cream Day': A Landian take on a Terran expression. The original used the holiday "Christmas," which we don't have on the Land. Our closest holiday would be "New Winter Day," but the expression first came about on the Land at some point after the establishment of Ice Cream Day in LY 819, which many people think makes more sense, considering that candy and nuts are common toppings for ice cream sundaes. It's unclear exactly when the expression came into usage, but it's estimated to have been sometime in the 850s. As for the expression's meaning, it essentially means there's no point in worrying about what might have been, one should simply concentrate on what is. *'Mad as a furthing': Another Landian expression, this one about anyone who acts or sounds crazy. Because furthings have a reputation for acting crazy, especially the wild ones, but sometimes even the domesticated ones. *'Only fools fly over water.': A uniquely Landian saying which was first used among Sorreters after the creation of flying vehicles in the mid-sixth century. It became more common after spell devices became available to the public during the Coming of the Order, though there is no evidence that there is any truth to the saying. *'The rat's rush': Based on a Terran expression, "the bum's rush," which means to throw someone (like a 'rat) out of an establishment by force. *'Shou ga nai': A Terran expression meaning "It can't be helped," used to indicate acceptance of a bad situation that one is powerless to change. *'Son of a monog': A Landian expression which is used to insult a man who has offended you in some way. It's unknown exactly when it came into use, but it's said that some spirit-talker heard of a similar Terran insult ("son of a bitch"), which was seen as distasteful to Landians, who sought to replace it with something just a little bit different. ("Bitch," on Earth, literally means "female dog," but in slang refers to women with unpleasant, aggressive personalities. The term "son of a bitch" is the masculine form of the insult, though apparently in later centuries "bitch" became somewhat of a unisex insult.) There is no similar insult on the Land which is commonly directed specifically at women, though it is not unheard of for a woman to be called a "daughter of a furthing." This, however, is generally considered just too silly, so unisex insults are more commonly used. (The word "monog" is rarely if ever used as a standalone insult toward men or women.) There are also those who consider "son of a monog" to sound silly or too mild, and in rare situations where one feels extremely hurt or offended, the Terran phrase "son of a bitch" may be used. *'Tonæd/Tonahd': See Tonad. See also *Language *cultural appropriation *Terran culture Category:Culture